1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for monitoring vehicles and equipment.
2. Related Art and Prior Art Statement
The widespread existence of companies that utilize fleets of motor vehicles for carrying out work related activities is commonplace in the modern world. Local ordinances and laws, company procedures and policies, and liability concerns necessitate that the owners of work related motor vehicles keep careful track of their vehicles during use, and document the use of any utility equipment incorporated therewith used to perform certain tasks, such equipment used to clean sewer/collection lines including vacuums and hoses, equipment used to lift objects such as cranes and lifts, equipment used to transport and dispense material such as concrete drums and dump receptacles, equipment used to transport and dispense cable or wiring such as spools, etc. Although existing vehicle tracking systems are able to adequately monitor and track vehicle location and also the location of utility equipment incorporated therewith, existing systems suffer in that they are inherently unreliable, fail to provide a way to adequately collect information and safeguard it from unauthorized access and tampering, and fail to provide a way to collect information that is able to reliably show that the equipment managed and maintained by a vehicle was actually put to use. Given these and other deficiencies in the art, the need for certain new and useful improvements is evident.